The purpose of this project is to evaluate the ability of noninvasive ultrasound imaging to contribute to the diagnosis of impaired swallow and speech and to evaluate the oropharyngeal structures (tongue, palate, oral muscles, hyoid, larynx) in normal and abnormal populations.In cooperation with DCD and NCI, we continue to use ultrasound imaging to track head and neck tumor growth and tissue change during experimental treatments with paclitaxel being conducted concurrently with radiation therapy and other experimental treatments in patients with advanced tumors. We completed analysis of ultrasound swallowing studies and functional swallowing outcomes of the 23 patients seen initially. We were able to track the natural evolution of swallowing function and have charted the course of recovery of oral motor function and mortality in this group of subjects. We have successfully built and tested an ultrasound transducer stabilizing device to alleviate the errors intrinsic to data collection using the handheld system we have used in the past. We can now study patient change resulting from treatment with enhanced reliability.We have initiated a rigorously designed pilot study of the effects of viscosity on swallowing using ultrasound imaging. We anticipate this information will be valuable for the many individuals with dysphagia who are prescribed special diets.